Rolfing benefits most people. All bodies have some degree of disorder and compensation in their structure. Therefore adults of any age who suffer from any limiting physical discomfort may benefit from Rolfing. The prerequisite is that there are no signs of a nervous disorder or a deeper pathology.
People who have a history of injury or trauma and notice that the effects of their often-minor injuries are beginning to interfere with their everyday lives.
Former and current athletes, musicians, performers or those engaged in physically demanding jobs.
Those who do not accept the notion that the quality of their lives must suffer simply because they are aging.
Whether you are athletic, perform tasks with repetitive-motion in daily activity, or are just looking to feel more “at home” in your body.
Rolfing can help people who find that their physical limitations prevent them from attaining a higher level of emotional well-being. It can serve as an educational resource that allows a more intimate and comfortable relationship with the body.
Rolfing should not hurt. There may be some transitory discomfort when seriously restricted tissue is softened, differentiated and reintegrated.
Good communication and the Rolfer’s skills are essential for reducing or eliminating any potential discomfort.
A general guideline is that the intensity experienced is transitory. From brief intensity to a decrease in sensation and finally to an easing of long-standing holdings. This can prove both profound and transformative.
Rolfing is not a substitute for osteopathy and chiropractic.
In chiropractic, the overall idea is to work more directly on the vertebrae of the spine and other bony structures in order to release and treat mechanical restrictions. Both chiropractic and osteopathy use high velocity, low amplitude manipulations.
Rolfing employs a deep and sustained touch in manipulations and exclusively focuses on balancing connective tissues and fascia.ints, and This in turn changes the alignment of the bones, overall structure and functionality.
It is unique in seeking to organise and lengthen the body around a vertical line.
Rolfing recognises that restrictions at any level of the human organism can be reflected at all other levels. Therefore when addressing a particular restriction the Rolfer looks at the whole body in order to find the primary cause, which usually is away from the site of restrictions or pain. “Where you think it ease, it ain’t”. Click on this link for a video on bio-tensegrity.
Rolfers are educators. In each session, they seek to impart insights to the client, develop awareness and understanding of the body, to help clients make the work their own. The Rolfer’s job is to make himself obsolete, by empowering the clients to take charge of their own physical wellbeing.
Chiropractic, osteopathy and Rolfing can go quite well together (of course, as a general disclaimer here, if you are getting Rolfing and chiropractic and or osteopathy done at the same time, be sure to inform the practitioners). Rolfing can help the chiropractic and osteopathic adjustments stay by releasing the tension patterns which pulled the bones or vertebrae out of alignment in the first place.
One of the most common misconceptions is that Rolfing is a form of deep tissue massage. The purpose of Rolfing is to balance and align the body along a vertical line by working on deep fascial layers and muscles that have been pulled out of position by strain or injury. Rolfing requires awakeness and participation of the client.
Most clients receive their Rolfing session in comfortable underwear. It is important for the practitioner to be able to assess the client’s physical structure and see the changes that occur during and between sessions. It is essential that the client feels comfortable, therefore if you are not comfortable being in your underwear, for women a two-pieced swimsuit or low rise running shorts or yoga-type stretchy shorts and sports bra (preferably with thin straps) are also suitable. For men, boxers are also suitable. You will be covered by a blanket while receiving your Rolfing session on the table.
The Rolfing 10-series allow to thoroughly address the whole body with the aim of achieving the highest level of somatic and perceptual integration possible.
Each session focuses on freeing restrictions or holdings trapped in a particular region of the body. The Rolfer maintains a holistic view of the client’s entire system during each session, thus ensuring that the transformational process evolves in a comfortable and harmonious way.
The 10 series is a general framework, a guideline, as it might be possible that the highest degree of integration is achieved before session 10 or that an extra session is required.
Of course not. I recommend that you try a session and see how you respond to the work first.
At the end of each sessions the Rolfer performs specific manipulations designed to stimulate the parasympathetic (rest) nervous system. These allow the client to feel calm and grounded before leaving. Clients can enjoy their normal daily activities. However it is recommended not to engage in intensive physical activities within approximately 12 to 24 hours after a session. Clients may practice gentle physical activities and take time to observe any changes in how they feel in their bodies.
I recommend to leave about a week between Rolfing sessions. It is important that you practice your movements between sessions.
Improved posture, coordination, flexibility, movement and athletic performance can be expected. An enhanced understanding of how the body operates in harmony with gravity can develop further. In addition to improvements in the physical functioning of the body, Rolfing can improve one’s sense of well being.
Completion of the 10 series is not the end of the process as the client can continue to integrate for several months after. A new awareness of posture and movement may develop further as the client feels, experience the joy of her full potentialities.
”structural Integration is not a closed-end revelation, everything that can be regarded as a revelation is open-ended.”